Practical
Plants

Solanum carolinense

Horse Nettle

a perennial member of the Solanum genus in the family Solanaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Solanum
Life cycle
perennial
Height
1 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

All parts of the plant are potentially poisonous[3]. Fatalities have been reported with children[3].

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

This plant should be used with caution, see the notes above on toxicity. The berries and the root are anodyne, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac and diuretic[7][3]. They have been used in the treatment of epilepsy[2][3]. They have been recommended in the treatment of asthma, bronchitis and other convulsive disorders[7][2]. The berries should be harvested when fully ripe and carefully air-dried[7]. An infusion of the seeds has been gargled as a treatment for sore throats and drunk in the treatment of goitre[5]. A tea made from the wilted leaves has been gargled in the treatment of sore throats and the tea has been drunk in the treatment of worms[3][5]. A poultice made from the leaves has been applied to poison ivy rash[3].

Product or use
Anodyne
Product or use
Antispasmodic
Product or use
Aphrodisiac
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Poultice

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves have been used as an insecticide[5].

Product or use
Insecticide

Environment

Range
South-eastern N. America - New England to Florida, west to Texas and South Dakota.
Habitat
Dry fields and waste ground, usually in sandy soils[7][3][4].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 3+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in most soils[1].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

    ↩1↩2

  3. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  4. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

    ↩

  5. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Botanical Research Institute, Texas. 1999-00-00 http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm

  7. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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